The new Intuos graphics tablet from Wacom ticks some very attractive boxes. The scroll wheel and OLED “multifunction” buttons look great, but I’m most impressed that the tablet is smart enough to flip the screens when being used by a left hander.

I own an Intuos 2, and while I don’t use it very regularly, when it comes out it generally achieves results that would be completely impossible or exponentially more difficult or time consuming without it. Looking at the promo video, it feels like some hefty brains have been banged together in the design process, and they’ve come up with something that’s not just another little increment.

Input devices are an immensely important part of the creative process. They’re the mechanical interface between your ideas and what your audience sees, and you use them constantly, so those tiny details matter.

I own an intuos3 and I don't see any reason to get excited about this. I mean it looks great and 2048 levels of pressure is really nice. But I don't see anything that warrants an upgrade if you already have one.

lux

i see you are nervous

massta

I bet Josh of Super Draw has already ordered his.

Polite

i love my intuos 1, but i hardly ever use it.

it just takes up so much space to have it on the table all the time. :/

@Lightning McNuts: I think it depends on how deeply drawing is part of your workflow. I rarely use my Intuos 2, so there's no need for me to upgrade, but if you're spending a large chunk of each day with a pen, then there's workflow enhancements here which could definitely be worth the upgrade. For my purposes, the scroll wheel thing could be fantastic for zooming in and out while rotoscoping, and more buttons is always better for making things more effective. If you're someone who focusses on a certain task, then I can see that the Intuos 4 could be setup so you wouldn't have to use the mouse or keyboard for long stretches, and that's a Good Thing.

@lux: Are you a spam bot?

@Polite: Oh, I'm definitely with you. I have a blast every time I use mine, but then I put it back on the shelf and don't touch it for 6 months.

@massta: ha! actually I use a graphire4 (http://www.wacom.com/graphire/6×8.cfm) for almost all my live performances. One of the reasons I like it so much is that it has a slot for the pen built in, so when you're done performing you just slide the pen into the slot and you know the tablet is together with the pen.

however, I would love to have one of these (I could definitely utilize all the added functionality with superdraw). the OLED display is very nice- wonder if there's an API for it… I'd -ahem- love to get sponsored by wacom!

also I will say that I have a wide format intuos3 for my desktop/work computer. I use it instead of a mouse- once you get used to that you end up liking it better… and I definitely notice a big difference in quality between it and the graphire.

where's the wide format version?

Xstout

ah ha… but they are all 16:10 aspect. and they feel so much better than the Intuos 3, and the Bamboo/Graphire don't come close.
@superDraw: I have not had a mouse on my desk tor 7 years, so I am right there with ya. Mice are evil disease infested rodents.

@Xstout: ahhh 16:10? I totally missed that looking at the overall dimensions… hmmm, now I really really want one. gear lust indeed. how does that scrolly wheel feel? I wasn't really a fan of the touch strips on the intuos3- it's a great idea but glitchy in execution…

I actually still have a mouse on my desk, and I use it for… games! the pen just completely fails when it comes to the FPS.

CDM is an online magazine for creative technology, from music and DJing to motion and more.